


A Voice that Speaks from the Heart

by httpsung



Category: Day6 (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Angst, F/M, Koe no Katachi AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-17
Updated: 2017-09-22
Packaged: 2018-12-30 15:46:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,585
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12112005
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/httpsung/pseuds/httpsung
Summary: A short two part fic inspired by an animated film that had me in tears, happy reading!





	1. Chapter 1

You were a horrible child.

Growing up you might have been the rudest and rowdiest out of your bunch of friends and yet you were the most popular among them. Everyone followed your lead deeming you queen of the playground on multiple occasions, your words at the tender age of ten becoming law. There was nothing you couldn’t do, stealing snacks and knocking over castles created from sand in your elementary school’s sandbox, all of which made you laugh each time.  
You couldn’t get any worse, at least that’s what your young mind thought until he came along. He was a boy who turned out to become your worst victim, shifting your life around the moment you laid eyes on him. He was shorter than most of the boys in class and barely stood an inch over you. His name was Wonpil, a transfer student from a few towns over, who smiled brightly the first time he set foot in your small classroom. Everyone ogled him ready to hear his first words, but he just wouldn’t speak.

In fact, he couldn’t.

“Class this is Wonpil Kim, he’s unable to hear so his mother has put together a drawing pad so you’ll be able to communicate with him.” Your teacher smiled with a tap to the boy’s shoulder. At that moment Wonpil pulled out a blue pad of paper, lips still laced with the brightest smile as he flipped the pages.

( _I hope we can all become friends._ )  
( _I would like to play with you all._ )

The class broke out in whispers while you took the initiative to stand with a raise of your hand.

“Ms. Suu why can’t he hear? Can he talk?” You questioned, staring Wonpil down.

“Well Y/n, Wonpil was born with a hearing disability. He can speak but not as well as you or I can.” She answered your curious question before directing Wonpil to sit two rows in front of you. “I want everyone to be nice to him understand?” Ms. Suu added as she headed to the front of the class again.  
“Yes, ma’am!” You smiled, the rest of the room responding the same way. Of course, your teacher couldn’t see pass the deceitful smile that tugged at the corner of your lips.  
It didn’t take long for you to accomplish your first distasteful act toward the new boy. The moment recess came and Wonpil pulled out his drawing pad to chat, you snatched it away from him and tossed it as far as you could.  
“No one wants to do this, so go away.” You sneered, urging your friends to laugh as you walked away from the smiling boy.

How could he still smile after that?

Over the next few weeks you had pushed Wonpil and pulled his hair, you even went as far as to take the brand-new items in his ears called hearing aids, dropping them in the trash. Through it all Wonpil smiled and never gave up trying to fit in with you and your friends.  
There was a new teacher who came to class every so often to help communication with Wonpil. He was a sign language teacher, spending at least 10 minutes every visit to teach the class words and phrases with just the motion of their hands.  
“This is boring!” You shouted once, making the whole room burst out into laughter. “No one wants to do stupid signs for a stupid person.” Your words dripped bitterly off your tongue. You got detention for your interruption and took it out on Wonpil after class.  
“Dummy!” You shouted as you shoved him hard until he fell on his bottom. Wonpil only brushed himself off and stood up, fingers forming signs that you didn’t understand and didn’t want to understand.  
“Why don’t you just speak?!” You were frustrated as you stomped over to him and ripped out one of his hearing aids, eyes widening at the stream of blood that followed. Wonpil cringed, holding his ear and one of your classmates immediately ran to get help.  
“This is so bad Y/n….” One of your closest friends spoke, backing away and running. Everyone around you ran, abandoning you and Wonpil. There was no time for you to escape and you froze once Ms. Suu called out your name kneeling in front of the injured boy.  
“It’s going to be okay Wonpil… Y/n, I’m calling you parents.”  
Your little heart sank into your stomach, focusing on how much blood had dripped onto Wonpil’s shirt. You really overdid it this time and there was no way you could take it back.

-

  
The look of disappointment on each adult’s face in the principal’s office made you uneasy. Your fate was decided, a couple of days of suspension to suffice for what you had done, and a promise from both of your parents that they would pay for any hospital costs for the boy you hurt.  
Wonpil’s mother smiled just like her son always did and accepted the offers wholeheartedly.At home, you were punished and sent to your room, listening to the tragic symphony of your parents arguing afterward.

“Your daughter is always out of control. Maybe you should raise her better.” Your dad’s gruff voice echoed throughout your ears.

“And maybe you should be around more!” Your mother shouted, causing you to shrivel in the corner of your room. Your parents were always fighting and you weren’t oblivious to the fact that they would live apart soon, it was tearing your heart in two.  
You had no one to turn to, letting that pain of your parents splitting settle until you could take it out on someone else at school.  
That was why you were the way you were, hurt people tend to hurt others.

When you returned to school, things were different. The moment you entered class your friends didn’t look your way. You tried your best to approach them and even play with them when you had free time but they isolated you, calling you a bully, something they’ve never said before.

“Wonpil went away thanks to you, you’re so scary you make people run away.” The children teased. The tables had turned tremendously leaving you the new brunt of every joke and the victim to every trick.  
The bully became bullied and Wonpil Kim was never seen again.

 ---

It was a mixture of white noise and words each time someone spoke to you, though sometimes it was hardly ever. No one wanted to speak to you unless they really had no choice and that was when group or partner assignments were assigned. Your peers hardly acknowledged your presence and you often thought it was better that way.  
It was the beginning of your last year in high school and you were expecting it to be the same as every other. You would keep to yourself and your classmates would keep away from you, whispering and teasing if they had the time. You didn’t mind, their voices were mostly white noise.  
From the time, you were in 5th grade until now you were friendless. The stigma of being a horrible bully had stuck with you through the years, though you weren’t that kind of monster anymore. No matter how nice of a person you were now, people in the town you lived in were not that forgiving. There was no choice but to let karma continue running its course.

“Hey Y/n… see you after school for the next lesson?” A female voice in the hallway snapped you out of your current thoughts. It was the teacher in charge of the sign language department at your school and her name was Mrs. Kim. You gave her a brief smile and replied with hand signs that had her smiling in return.

“You’re doing so well.” She said before signing with her hands, ( _See you later._ )  
Sign language was a form of communication you decided to learn at the start of your junior year with the future goal of becoming a sign language teacher. It all hit you after a dream, a reoccurring dream about the boy you teased long ago. He was always haunting your mind and influencing you to do better.  
You thought plenty of times that if you could go back to your elementary days, you would be a completely different child and learn from Wonpil instead of shutting him away and hurting him. He would always be your biggest regret and if a miracle brought you to him you’d apologize from the bottom of your heart.

–--

The school bell’s sudden blaring sent a jolt to your system, urging you to hurry to class. You were in such as rush just like everyone else that you didn’t pay attention to your surroundings, your body crashing into someone else.  
“Sorry!” You apologized, keeping your eyes fixated on the stray book that fell from your bag. The person you bumped into said nothing, your eyes lifting to meet his after making sure your things were collected.  
He had a cold stare and continued walking away without any words. You stood there silently, eyes slowing widening at the familiar features now etched into your mind, slowly drawing out your old memories. He was much taller now and had aged well, and though he was recognizable there was something important missing, that innocent smile.  
“Wonpil…?” You turned around, forgetting that you were late for class and hurried after him, grabbing his arm.  
“Wonpil Kim… right?” You mouthed your words slowly, if he was really the boy from long ago he could understand you a little better if you didn’t talk so fast. Your hands moved in contrast to your lips, a little quicker and precise in motion.

( _I don’t know if you remember me…_ )  
( _But we had class together a long time ago._ )

You felt nervous but kept signing, swallowing the lump that seemed to form in your throat.

( _My name is Y/n… I hurt you then, and I wanted to apologize for everything._ )  
( _I’m so sorry._ )

Wonpil’s eyes widened slightly as if he remembered you, his onyx irises scanning your features while he stood motionless.  
His hands moved finally, signing a response you should have expected.

( _Go away._ )

After years of trying, making friends just didn’t seem possible to him.He tried his best not to let his disability get the better of him, always smiling until he just couldn’t do it anymore. Wonpil became a broken child and being fixed wasn’t a priority any longer. The issues with the first school he transferred to as a child distorted him into a boy who chose to ignore kindness.

Wonpil wasn’t going to let the bullying continue, even if that meant becoming something similar himself.  
A silent delinquent is what he turned in to, causing harm to those who got in his way, wreaking havoc whenever he felt like it.  
Hurt people hurt people, right? It was a terrible motto to live by.

–--

He didn’t expect to meet you again after transferring back for his final year of high school. He didn’t expect to see the face that pushed him over the edge at such an early age. It surprised him when he remembered who you were, his mind battling the memories of your wicked ways as a child and the completely new aura you gave off at that moment. His heart hammered hard against his chest when you raised your hands to communicate in a language he could better understand, a blend of emotions swirling inside him.  
He hated you, that’s what he told himself over the years. Wonpil hated you and wanted to hate you for the rest of his life, the end of it drawing close with each passing day.  
The only response he had when you apologized was for you to ( go away )though he was the one who walked away from you.  
Your apologies became countless, there was no escaping the movements of your hands each time he encountered you. Wonpil thought you were foolish for consistently trying to pour your heart out to him, especially when his heart was so closed off.  
He thought you were an idiot for throwing yourself into the fights he had with thugs who always thought they could take advantage of him. The first time you were hit across the cheek from one of his attackers, it didn’t phase him one bit,  leaving him only to shove you out of the way so he could finish his brawl.  
When he was left alone on the ground, victoriously tired and a bit scathed from the win, he glanced over to you who remained, signing once again for you to go away.  
When would you give up?

It was a rainy afternoon and you were on your way to the library, stopped at a red light and free of school for a day’s vacation. You took solace among the books and often relished in the silence that lingered in the public location, looking forward to getting away from the clamorous voices of everyday life and continuous thoughts of Wonpil.  
He would never escape your mind and you would never give up trying to get through to him.

“Hey, kid! The light’s not green yet!” A man’s voice shouted from the distance, waking you from your current haze of thoughts. Your eyes focused ahead on a boy walking out into oncoming traffic.  
“Wonpil…?” You recognized that figure, his posture and the small devices behind his ears. Your body acted quickly and without much thought you chased after him, screaming at the top of your lungs, praying that your voice would reach him. For a split second you saw him turn around with heartbreaking eyes, feeling his wet clothes against your hands as you pushed him, everything around you slowly fading to black.

\----  
  
He had numbed his body for this very moment, knowing that he was going to risk his life if not end it by stepping off the curb, ignoring the street light that glowed a bright red through the fog of rain. This plan was supposed to be carried out for some time now and today Wonpil decided to push through, letting his gloomy emotions consume him. He walked as if time began to slow, tears hidden among the raindrops that rolled down his cheeks.  
There were tire screeches he didn’t hear and cars stopping he didn’t see after he closed his eyes, but an odd sound broke through his usual barrier of silence, urging him to turn around quick  
It was you who reached out to him, the saddened look on your face resonating with his quickened heart, and then he felt the force of your hands without seeing your body fall.  
Wonpil came to, surrounded by unfamiliar faces in the rain that set panic to him.  
Where did you go?   
He sat up, ignoring the pain that throbbed on the side of his head. His eyes welling with unexpected tears the moment he saw you seemingly lifeless.  He stood pushing past the crowd weakly until he was in front of you, falling to his knees.  
Wonpil hated you but why was he crying? Why was his broken voice calling out to someone who ruined his entire being? He shook you a bit before putting his hands together to sign, asking if you were okay as if your eyes were open to see it.

( _Wake up._ )  
( _Are you okay?!_ )  
( _Wake up!_ )

You didn’t wake up, not within those few seconds but after a minute of him trying his best to call out to you with all his heart, your eyes fluttered open.  
“It’s a miracle…” You vaguely heard a woman’s voice but only saw Wonpil’s face. Your body felt heavy, a slight pain surging through your body but you were happy to see that Wonpil was safe. You raised your hands, lips forming a small smile while signing the best you could.

( _Wonpil, I’m sorry for everything…_ )  
( _Can we be friends?_ )  
Wonpil bit his bottom lip in an attempt to hold back a sob. He moved his hands in response , calling you an ( Idiot ) before he rested his forehead against you, weeping.


	2. Chapter 2

You were trapped in a room coated in ivory walls and littered with contraptions. It had been a couple days since the accident with Wonpil, he was safe but you suffered the consequences of a concussion and bruised ribs that kept you hospitalized until further notice. The environment slowly dampened your mood and you yearned for an escape, wishing things would return to normal as soon as possible.  
There was talk of freedom when your doctor visited in the early morning, explaining your discharge later that evening. The older man was firm with giving orders. You were to take it easy and avoid any strenuous activities. He didn’t have much to worry about though, it’s not like you were the most active person, simply settling on walking as your most vigorous activity.  
Your eyes kept flickering to the door just off to your right when you were alone. You could hear the light buzzing of people from behind it, nurses checking on other patients and families paying visits to their loved ones. Your family had already left for a while, promising to return when it was time for you to head home. From the moment they exited you kept your gaze focused on the door, keeping an eye out for one person.  
You were waiting for him.

Wonpil had been visiting you, lingering until visiting hours were up. You didn’t expect him to be so concerned when you were sure he still had some dislike toward you. The boy mostly sat without communicating and it seemed hard for him to make eye contact. You would catch Wonpil staring at you when he thought you were sleeping or focused on a book your parents brought you.  
The sound of the door sliding open had you perking up with a smile settling on your lips. Wonpil peeked in, slightly startled when he saw you staring back at him. His eyes fell to the floor before he stepped inside with a bag in his hands, decorated nicely with a pink bow.  
He approached your bedside, setting the bag full of cookies on your lap, raising his hands to ask ,

( _How are you feeling?_ )

( _I’m feeling better_ ) You signed in reply to him, watching him take his usual seat in front of your hospital bed. Once again, Wonpil’s eyes lingered anywhere but on you until you moved your hands to grab his attention.

( Wonpil… I had a dream about you )

You had plenty of regretful dreams involving him but each time you closed your eyes since the accident, your dreams have consisted of nothing but beautiful images and sounds, one of them being his voice.

( _I heard your voice._ )

Your eyes lit up as bright as your smile. The dream was strange at first but comforting, his voice was easygoing, grazing your ears softly when he spoke to you. Wonpil’s eyes widened at your words, his posture straightening as he replied curiously.

( _What did I sound like?_ )

( _Beautiful…_ )

Your hands formed the word so smoothly, eyes falling to your lap at the feeling of your cheeks warming in the moment.  
You lifted your gaze to see Wonpil covering his mouth as if he were trying to hide something. You would have never thought to see a light pink dust his cheekbones from a simple compliment.  
Wonpil dropped his hand from his mouth, the corner of his lips tugging into the smallest smile.

( _I wish I could hear it too…_ ) He responded, irises of a deep brown holding on to your own.  
Your front teeth sank into your bottom lip at his reply, his words tugging at your heartstrings. If you could perform miracles you would give him the precious gift of being able to hear himself speak.

“He’s been fighting again…”  
You hear the rustling whispers in the hallway from the moment you step foot through the doors, your peers’ attention shifting to you immediately.  
“Look. There she is. It’s Y/n… she just got out of the hospital from that accident, right? To save the death kid…”  
“Yeah, he’s carrying on like normal though, still fighting… what a pair those two are.”

You listened closely to the static noise pouring from their mouths. You usually didn’t mind the content your peers spoke of but since they involved Wonpil you had to figure out what was going on.  
You hurried through the halls searching for him, stopping when your eyes caught view of the courtyard with Wonpil sitting against a tree.  
You sighed picking up your pace once more to meet him outside. His face partly met sunlight while he sat, eyes closed as if he were sleeping. You scanned his features, the corner of his mouth painted maroon from a fresh bruise. A vibrant red scratch skimmed across the bridge of his nose.  
Wonpil seemed fine for the most part but you wished he would learn to avoid brawls instead of diving face first off adrenaline.  
You kneeled in front of him with another sigh, reaching your hand forward to give his shoulder a gentle shake. Wonpil slowly opened his eyes to meet yours and you felt as though you were being drawn in tightly with his hand wrapped around the beating muscle in your chest. It took him sitting up properly for you to emerge from your stupor. You cleared your throat and opened your mouth to speak slowly while your hands moved fluidly to sign.

( _Are you okay? You’re not too hurt, right?_ )

Wonpil nodded his head while rubbing his eyes, earning him a relieved smile from you. He let out a big yawn before raising his hands to speak.

( _I tried walking away this time, but they kept coming after me…_ )

He flashed you a defeated smile, chestnut colored eyes darting away from yours. Wonpil motioned for you to move so he could stand, stretching his arms above his head once he was on his feet.  
You stood up after him, your smile stretching wide. You hesitantly reached your hand out toward his face, thumb skimming lightly over the bruise around his lip. Wonpil flinched slightly, as you expected him to and you retracted your hand to sign for him.

( _Well at least you tried your best_ )

Wonpil stared at you, watching your eyes gleam in the sun’s rays. He flinched from your action not because the bruise on his face caused him any pain, but from the confusing feeling that surged through his chest, the moment your thumb caressed his minor injury.  
His heart raced.

As the school days passed you started to see some change in Wonpil’s actions. In the halls, he would give you a smile, almost enough to make your heart skip a beat. He avoided fights as best he could and you even learned he was doing better with his classes. The two of you gradually became closer to the point where some days when school had ended, you’d hang out at a café or grab a bite to eat.  
Your life seemed to be slowly turning into one you could appreciate, the voices of the people around you becoming clearer, lacking the white noise that seemed to always clog your ears. You were starting to feel content letting the stigma of your horrible actions long ago drift away.

“Y/n!”  
There was a voice that called out to you, high pitched in tone and vaguely familiar. You stopped walking and turned around to see a girl just a bit shorter than you approach eagerly.  
“I thought that was you!” She reached for you quick, pulling into an unexpected hug.  
“I…”  
You started to speak. You were still unclear as to who she was until she pulled back to look you in the eyes.  
“It’s me Shion. Remember?” She beamed with a small laugh slipping past her lips. It took you a moment to process her features, reveries of your time with her elementary coming back to you.  
Shion was once your best friend throughout elementary school who joined in on your bullying escapades. She was also the first person to turn against you after the incident with Wonpil, leaving you more hurt than anything.  
“Yeah… I remember.” You gave her a small smile, the air becoming awkward between the two of you. The last time you saw her was during your first year in middle school and she treated you horribly along with the rest of the kids before she moved away.

“So, what are you up to? I just moved back to this town a couple of weeks ago… I didn’t expect to see you here.” She smiled taking the initiative to link her arm through yours, something she use to do back when you were kids.  
“I um…” Your words were becoming glued to your throat, you didn’t know how to tell her that you already had plans with someone, especially when all emotions from your childhood were hitting you now.  
You kept your eyes on the ground as she walked with you, her words becoming a muffle of static while your mind raced with thoughts, a heaviness weighing down on your chest.  
“Hey…” Shion stopped suddenly and you lifted your gaze to see the cause. There was Wonpil standing alone by a tree, his eyes gazing around in search for you. He asked you earlier if you wanted to visit a new tea shop opening after school and you happily said yes.  
“Isn’t that Wonpil from elementary school?” She looked at you curiously, your head nodding slightly in response to her question.  
Wonpil noticed you and began heading your direction, when he stopped in front of you two, Shion let your arm go, throwing her hand in front of his face obnoxiously and waving.  
“Wonpil!” She shouted.  
“Remember me?! I’m Shion!” She yelled, making you cringe.  
Wonpil stared at her quizzically before his eyes met yours, his hands raising to sign to you.

( _Who is she…?_ ) He asked.

You hesitantly raised your hands to answer him, your actions surprising Shion who watched you two communicate.

( _Shion… from elementary school._ )

  
Wonpil stared at her once more, smiling when she smiled at him.

( _Nice to see you again. Y/n… I’ll wait over there._ ) He signed and you translated the first bit for Shion to understand.  
“He said it’s nice to see you again.” You said, wondering if he really meant those words. Shion laughed, her hand slapping your back.  
“Did you really learn sign language Y/n?!” She seemed amused, cutting you off before you could even reply.  
“That’s so funny… are you two friends? After what happened in elementary school?”  
An anxious feeling formed in the pit of your stomach at her laughter.

“Be honest with me Y/n… Are you still teasing Wonpil ? That’s why you’re talking to him like he’s normal.”  She nudged your shoulder, her teasing tone igniting a small flame within you.  
“I’m not.” You answered firmly, putting a cease to her wild outburst. “I’m not teasing him… he’s my friend.” You added as you walked away from her.

( _I’m ready._ ) You signed to Wonpil who stared at you curiously.

( _Are you okay?_ ) He asked and you hoped you could mask the uneasy feeling that displayed itself on your features.

( _I’m fine… let’s get some tea._ )

Shion hardly spoke to since you walked away from her to hang with Wonpil. She hardly spoke but her presence still haunted you, her eyes always meeting yours when she saw you in the hallway and you were sure she had secrets to whisper about you along with the other kids.  
“You’re only friends with him to make yourself feel better.”  
Her words caught your attention as she passed you in the hallway. You didn’t respond but that didn’t keep the poison she spat from sinking into your heart, making you question yourself.  Maybe you were being foolish for trying so hard to be his friend, what if he thought you were being foolish too?  
Shion appeared daily with a new motive, to become friendly with Wonpil just when you started to distance yourself from him. He would speak to you in the halls before class and you would only reply with short answers, making up an excuse to not linger around him much longer. You hated how defeated Shion was making you feel but you weren’t sure if you could face Wonpil properly again, you felt embarrassed.

It had been weeks since the accident and the turning point for him. After seeing you risk your life to save his own Wonpil couldn’t get you out of his head. He cursed himself each time he visited your hospital room and wanted to tug out his own hair when he found himself waiting for you to show up in school. You were slowly starting to infatuate him, that feeling when he was child returning reminding him he was drawn to you then no matter how unfriendly you were.  
He started to appreciate you interrupting his fights and making sure he was on track for his classes. He smiled more when he saw you sign simple hellos and have a good day in the school hallways. Wonpil didn’t question himself once when you two started meeting occasionally after school to grab food. Your presence kept him warm, making him feel like he belonged and didn’t have to continue alone.   
Seeing you had started to become one of the highlights of his day until recently. Wonpil noticed the distance forming between the two of you when you didn’t smile as much anymore and when your replies to him became shorter. He didn’t know why you were changing toward him so suddenly, but he noticed Shion.

Shion had been trying to hang out with him lately as if he had been friends with her for years once you began avoiding him.  
He didn’t like it, and it didn’t take long for him to put together the pieces of the puzzle that Shion was somehow keeping you away. Wonpil’s assumption was confirmed one day after school when he stopped you to talk. He felt as though you were looking through him to somebody else as you made up your excuse about how you needed to go help your mother out with something.  
After you hurried off Shion showed up trying her best to sign to him that she wanted to hang out. When she couldn’t express what she wanted properly she hand him her small notepad with a Cheshire grin.  
Wonpil stared at the notepad taking a moment to think about what he really wanted to say to her before jotting down his response.

[ **_I rather not. I don’t know what you’ve done to Y/n… but it would be best if you stay away from her._** ]  
[ **_Please, leave the both of us alone from now on._**  ]

Wonpil handed the notepad back to Shion, not waiting for a response before he started to walk away. She stared at his writing with an indignant expression, throwing the notepad in frustration before walking off in the opposite direction.

—---

You sighed to yourself staring out your classroom window, your ears once again blocking out the static noise that belonged to your classmate’s voices. The period was going to a waste, temporary substitute filling in for your teacher with no means of conducting a stable lesson. You took a glance over at the rugged man who sat reading a book among the chaos. You wondered how he could get any reading done at all.  
Packing up your belongings you decided to leave the room not that he would mind or anyone else would miss your presence. You headed for Ms. Kim’s empty classroom.  
“Oh Y/n… you’re here!” She smiled and you flashed one in return, signing to her instead of speaking.

( _We have a substitute… he’s not doing a suitable job, so I’m here._ )

Ms. Kim laughed and motioned for you to have a seat, a snack in her hand.  
“I was just snacking until my next meeting.” She sighed, taking a bite of the half-opened fruit bar in her grasp.  
You smiled without saying anything, leading her to tilt her head at your lack of conversation.  
“Something wrong?” She asked and you immediately shook your head no.  
“I’m fine, just a little tired.” Your smile was brief and you hoped she believed your lie, you really didn’t feel like expressing yourself about Wonpil, even if it was better to let it out.  
“I see…” She hummed.  
Ms. Kim fell silent chewing her food before slamming her hand on her desk, her action startling you.  
“I don’t know if I ever told you this… but I have a nephew who is currently living with me. He’s death.” She spoke softly, eyes falling to the snack in her hand.  
“Really?”  
“Mmhm… he moved in with me recently and doesn’t have many friends. I was wondering if you didn’t mind Y/n… would you visit sometime and hang out with him a little?” She asked.  
“It’s been kind of tough for him since he’s been back to town and I just want someone nice to try and get to know him.” She added, a small smile gracing her lips.  
You gave her a nod without much hesitation with the thought that maybe Wonpil can meet her nephew as well, then it dawned on you that you haven’t been speaking to him like you should and avoiding him any chance you could get.  
“I’ll do it.” You replied, your mind still thinking about Wonpil and how you should stop letting Shion’s words and your own negative thoughts get the best of you, it was time to make things right again.

The day came where you ventured to Ms. Kim’s cozy neighborhood, a bale of nerves accompanying you as you knocked on her front door. You were wondering what her nephew would be like and if the two of you would get along. Ms. Kim opened the door and greeted you with a bright smile.

“Y/n!” She gave you a welcoming hug, stepping away so you could enter.  
“Thanks for coming by.” She added, shutting the door behind you as you slipped off your shoes.  
“No problem.” You gave her a nod, watching her look toward the stairs just a little off to the right.  
“My nephew’s up there, I’ll tell him to come down.” She said and you nodded once again, swallowing the small lump in your throat.  
Before Ms. Kim could shout you noticed a figure sauntering down the steps, running his hand through a mess of hair. He froze when he saw you and you reacted the same, eyes wide with surprise that it was Wonpil standing in front of you. Ms. Kim noticed the eye contact between you two and raised her brow curiously. 

“Wait, you two already know each other?!” She beamed before signing to Wonpil the same question. He gave a quick nod, an awkward tension filling the air. You had planned on reaching out to Wonpil the other day but couldn’t find him anywhere.  
“Well then… I’ll prepare some snacks. Since you two already know each other feel free to hang out.” Ms. Kim smiled as she hurried into her kitchen.  
Wonpil motioned toward the stairs, and you followed his gaze, your feet moving before your thoughts could catch up, walking up one by one to his room.  
The two of you sat with nothing to say, your eyes in your lap as you fiddled with your fingers. Wonpil was back to square one where he couldn’t look you in the eyes unless you initiated conversation first.

( _Look… I’m sorry for not speaking much._ ) You whispered your words but moved your hands precisely to express your feelings over the last few days.  
( _I was being dumb, listening to Shion…_ ) You felt your cheeks burning after your confession. Eyes lifting momentarily to see his expression.  
Wonpil shook his head, lips slightly curved as he signed.

( I figured she might have said something, but you don’t have to make yourself talk about it. )  
( It’s okay. )

You exhaled a small sigh, feeling a release of pressure from your chest.

( _I’m going to see if the snacks are ready, I’ll be right back._  ) Wonpil signed, getting up to hurry downstairs.

You sat still on the floor and glanced around his room, it had very minimal detail and seemed very clean. You stood up to get a better look at things, your eyes catching a shabby drawing pad in the corner. Your mind urged you not to snoop into any of Wonpil’s belongings but the familiar pad of paper had you curious to where you had seen it before.  
You grabbed it carefully feeling as though it could fall apart any moment in your hands, opening it slowly to see what look like a child’s handwriting scribbled repeatedly.  
It took a moment but you soon realized it was the drawing pad Wonpil used as a child to communicate, simple questions most of them with no answers written.

[ **_Can we be friends?_** ]  
[  ** _Will you play with me?_** ]

These were sentences that went unanswered and your heart sank when you saw a few mean responses.  
**_You’re stupid since you can’t hear._**  
 ** _We hate you go away._**  
Those were some of the same hurtful words you once said to him back in elementary school, written from different people at different points in time.  
You felt awful that no one had seemed to give Wonpil a chance all these years, the regret from your childish cruelty brewing in your heart once again and before you knew it your eyes were welling with tears.  
Wonpil entered the room with a tray of cookies and cakes, pausing when he noticed your side profile, tears streaming down your cheeks and his old painful memories in your hands. He sighed and placed the tray down on his desk, walking toward you to take the drawing pad.  
He surprised you, you hadn’t heard him enter the room again, too caught up in your own emotion. You wiped your tears quickly and apologized.

( _I’m sorry, for looking_..) You tried your best to appear okay but the tears wouldn’t stop rolling.

( _Wonpil… I’m so for being such a horrible person to you back then_.) You were apologizing once again, a habit you could never break.  
Wonpil stared while you expressed yourself, watching raw emotion consume you.

He stared, feeling his heart ache at how much pain you were in over him. Wonpil never imagined you’d feel the hurt as much as he did back then. Watching how upset you were made him realize how he needed to say something he should have said much sooner.

( _I forgive you._ )

He smiled, his own eyes becoming watery.

( _Don’t cry._.)

He reached for you and pulled you tightly in his embrace, pressing his lips carefully to your forehead.  
Wonpil pulled away to give you a bright smile as you calmed, signing something that made your heart burst.

( _Y/n… can we always be friends?_ )

You giggled, wiping the remaining tears from your face before nodding. You were happy to know that Wonpil had considered you his friend during the time you spent together and you knew in your heart it would be a friendship that would last forever.


End file.
